Leprechaun Tossing and Other Embarrassing Moments
by Kkarrie
Summary: After dinner with Alex Conrad, Esposito notices something is off with his partner. Tag for Dead Pool


Alex Conrad was a cool enough guy. That's what Esposito decided after he and Ryan got back from their dinner with him. The guy asked intelligent questions and he seemed to understand the partnership that Esposito and Ryan had created over the past three years. Not only that, but after Beckett had gone to dinner with the writer, she had gotten a muffin basket. Javier just might skip breakfast the next morning in hopes that he'd have his own muffins waiting for him.

Conrad had headed back to his hotel room and Ryan and Esposito had headed back to the precinct. They were pulling things out of their lockers when Esposito saw the jacket that Ryan had been wearing the day before.

"They tore that seam pretty good," He commented.

Ryan looked over and shrugged. "Could've been worse. Jenny might be able to fix it."

Esposito frowned and then watched his partner try to reach for something on the top shelf of his locker. He could see Ryan bite back a wince and change the hand he was reaching with.

"You okay, bro?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Ryan avoiding look at him and tried to leave the locker room.

Esposito reached out and grabbed the arm that Ryan was favoring.

Ryan flinched and Esposito heard a sharp intake of breath.

Esposito frowned. "That doesn't sound like fine to me."

"I just have a bruise there, that's all." Ryan again avoided looking his partner in the face. They could always read the other. It's what made their interrogation room tactics flow so well, but it did have it's disadvantages.

"Where'd you get that?" Javier wasn't going to push to hard, but he wanted to know what was going on. "Jenny beat you?" He gave a smile, not wanting Ryan to completely shut down.

Ryan gave a forced laugh. "If she was a hitter, I wouldn't have proposed."

"Is this about those four guys you went and talked to?" Esposito ignored the wisecrack. "The one's who were involved in Leprechaun tossing?" When Ryan didn't respond, Esposito frowned. "Bro, we can go mess them up." He unconsciously clenched a fist.

Ryan gave his partner an exasperated look. "We can't abuse the badge."

"But they can abuse us?" 

"It's not that big of a deal," Ryan tried to placate his partner.

"Not that big of a deal? That's assaulting a police officer. What did they do? Try to toss you around?"

"It's called Leprechaun tossing for a reason." Ryan mumbled.

"You're not a-" Esposito's face clouded with anger. "That's it, we're going down there." He headed for the door.

"Javi!" Ryan ran to catch up with him, and managed to squeeze in the elevator before the doors shut all the way. "You can't go beat up some guys off duty. Beckett would kill you. The captain would kill you."

"I'm not going to let those Irish jerks get away with beating up a cop." Esposito was walking quickly to his car now.

"They didn't beat me up!" Ryan shouted from the middle of the parking garage.

Esposito turned on his heel. "What? Where'd you get that bruise?"

"I fell,"

"Fell where?"

Ryan shifted from foot to foot.

"Fell where, Kev?" Esposito's voice was softer.

"You have to promise you won't laugh." Ryan sighed. "I fell at dance class. There's this big fireplace at the end of the room and I fell and smashed my arm on the edge of the hearth."

"Dance class?" Esposito's voice was now full of disbelief.

"Jenny's making us go so we can dance at the wedding." Ryan mumbled, so quietly that Esposito almost didn't hear him.

"So you weren't the Leprechaun in the Leprechaun toss?"

"Not since I was fourteen at the family reunion." Ryan said a little louder.

Esposito sighed. "You could have told me about dance classes."

Ryan rolled his eyes. "You would have told Castle and then you two would have laughed your asses off."

Esposito shrugged. "I still might."

"You do and you don't get to be best man any more." Ryan threatened.

"Alright, alright, no telling Castle about dance lessons."

"Thank you,"

"But you didn't say anything about not telling him about the family reunion." Esposito laughed and headed for his car again. "Kevin Ryan, the Leprechaun who was tossed."

Ryan listened to the laughter echoing through the parking garage. Yup, he was never going to hear the end of that story. At least it was funny enough the dancing wouldn't get brought up... he hoped.


End file.
